please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Whilst I hadn't planned to visit this pub, it was on my way to Finsbury Park tube station and I had a bit of spare time. So I thought I'd give it a go. The pub is situated at a busy road junction and it is fairly spacious inside with a large open-plan area either side of the bar. As an Antic pub, it has the usual mix of oddities scattered around. Toilets can be found either side of the bar and apparently can be differentiated by the colour of their tiles! Ales were Morland Old Golden Hen, Redemption Pale Ale, Purity Ubu & Greene King IPA. Sadly they don't stock a real cider. But they did have Aspalls on keg. Better than I had expected.
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Improved and trendier since Antic took it over, but expensive at £4 a pint. Despite the price my pint was flat and cloudy, which didn't impress me, but when I took it back it was changed immediately and the offending beer was taken off, which is what should happen everywhere but rarely does.
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Really good Sunday roasts at very reasonable prices, open and airy. Good selection of ales. They have a screens area for football, but are large enough that you can get away from the sport if you aren't in the mood. There are a few bad reviews here, but it sounds like the place has changed for the better.
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My partner & I have used this pub for a number of years and always enjoyed the atmosphere and friendly bar staff.. my my how a place changes in such a short spaveof time. At this point I will say the beer was fairly well kept and a decemt selection of ales but that's where the positives end for this review.
After waiting nearly 20 mins to get served on a weds evening a particularly arrogamt looking bar person strolled in behind the bar to help the lone bar staff member serving the now 3 or 4 deep wall of customers. I enquired to the newly arrived bar person if they were short staffed to which they replied "she's the manager ask her!" Charming! The bar person then went on to ask me if I was joking for questioning the level of customer service I received which was utterly disgusting. I left the bar shaking and there and then decided that will be the last time I set foot in this so called pub.
Avoid this place if you want a friendly welcome you're not going to get. And at £4+ a pint thats the least you should expect.
I'm scoring them 2/10 only for the beer.. customer service was without doubt the worst I've ever experienced.
Webbo - 19 Dec 2013 06:15 |
Update: they have now gone stingy with the roasts. Two potatoes only and much reduced quantities of veg, replaced by a surfeit of gravy. Shame, because they had it about right before.
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The refurbishment has lead to a big big improvement, especially the room at the back which looks fabulous (especially with an open fire and a Christmas tree). We had a Sunday lunch which was OK; the emphasis on quantity over gastro-ponciness and parsimony (see over the road) was welcomed by some of our group.
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No longer the Larrik, now the Stapleton Tavern. Wasn't open whenI went past this afternoon, doesn't open til 4pm, couldn't be any worse than the previous incarnation. Liked the curtains and the hand written '' mission statement '' on the wall outside, will give it a whirl soon.
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Absolutely dreadful. I had been here a few times before and it hadn't been so bad, but a recent visit for a charity quiz was just the pits. There was virtually no bottled beer, not even very very popular things like Corona, and halfway through the night the lager barrel had to be changed causing a long delay. Alternatives like Guinness tasted rough and nothing seemed properly cold. The service was just abysmal and there seemed no logic to how many people were on what side of the bar at any time. At other times the bar staff were on mobile phones or chatting to each other. I have seen much busier pubs manage very well with this level of staff but even small groups of would-be drinkers seemed too much for the staff to handle and queues soon built up. Management was not in evidence. Oh, and the ladies' toilets? don't go there. One was closed, anyway. There are other things like the layout and discomfort of the large back area and the draft when people banged in and out to smoke but the service, the service...
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I last came here a long time ago 5/6 years maybe. That night it was very busy and it was okay. Tonight at about 10pm on a Saturday there were about 5 people in and a Scouser playing lots of Beatles numbers. To be fair to him he was okay. Big empty pubs are kindof depressing though. Bogs were okay though. Would revisit if back in the area, that's if it's still around.
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Went in for the first time in over three years the other day; unfortunately it appeared noone had cleaned the place in all that time. A shame, cos this used to be a nice boozer.
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Big barn of a pub, no atmosphere, expensive pints and really nothing to make it stand out - go to the 'Fullback' instead.
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funny how rhood works in the old diary, cock.
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The Larik is like the All Bar One of Stroud Green. Brightly lit, lots of wood, no atmosphere, nothing of interest to drink. I've had a couple of good nights there in a big group but it's in no way "cosy"!
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is this the larrik in stroud green? 'cozy','cool boozer', 'upmarket' - i've went in once and never again, ignorant staff, expensive drinks, dodgy customers, lit up like a power station and an atmosphere like a damp paper bag. can't help but think that these reviews have been done by the owners!!!
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popped in the other day for the football, looks like it has just been repainted and cleaned up. very cosy indeed - fun chatty staff too.
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i was visiting family and didn't know the area too well and popped in to ask directions. Jason an Aussie guy was superb to me and i said i would call back in later for a pint. i was glad that i did. it was so nice to have a decent chat with a excellent pint or 6 with such a top fella in a cool boozer.
keep it up son.
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Haven't been in since it became The Larrik, but sounds like it's gone well upmarket from its former incarnation as the Stapleton Hall Tavern - I played there one night in the early 90s and was lucky to escape with my life, as the former clientele were as rough as a badger's arse.
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It's okay for watching football but is a bit pricey.
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I think it's a good boozer ....music as well as beer ...what more could you want ?
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Amazed at the number of reviews of what is to my mind a fairly unexceptional place. The interior is large and pleasant enough without being remarkable. Ales were IPA and Abbot on tap when I visited - are Larriks part of the GK empire, I wonder? Food was OK (the wife and I had sandwiches) without being terrifically exciting. The quiz (which actually ran from 8-10 rather than 5-8) was quite good. All in all, an average place.
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This pub is less formal and up itself than a few years ago. The current landlord Andy Bays has a deftness of touch, brilliant staff, and an expanding
live music programme on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays...Jim Lampi on Chapman Stick is an almost
other-wordly experience { good! } on Mondays, classic
pop and jazzy RnB-sters Out of The Blue a blast with their big saxes and goodtime feel, and the Gentleman's
Relish outfit with their mix of new songwriters rounds off the week with a flourish. Fun, fun, fun!
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This pub is less formal and up itself than a few years ago. The current landlord Andy Bays has a deftness of touch, brilliant staff, and an expanding
live music programme on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays...Jim Lampi on Chapman Stick is an almost
other-wordly experience { good! } on Mondays, classic
pop and jazzy RnB-sters Out of The Blue a blast with their big saxes and goodtime feel, and the Gentleman's
Relish outfit with their mix of new songwriters rounds off the week with a flourish. Fun, fun, fun!
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Never a fan of polished wood, but the food was good. Has not got the dark warmth of the Old Dairy or the charm of the Fullback, but is still fine.
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Went in recently and had a fantastic time, bar staff were really lovely and went out of their way for me and my husband. All English speaking,which made having a good laugh a lot easier. Sofa's to sink into. Nice atmosphere, friendly. Ordered food and received two delicious hot meals, initially thought was a bit on the pricey side but was well worth the money, obviously homemade. Popped head into kitchen bit to chat to chef, found a really nice funky chick who blushed when we said the food was great, really friendly and funny and didn't mind chatting to us- can't wait to pop in on Sunday for a roast, esp if the same chef's there, she really brightened up our whole experience which was lovely all over.
anonymous - 4 Jun 2007 21:37 |
i visited the Larrik this bank holiday sunday,and i was really surprised,we had the most fantastic roast(massive)piping hot and really quick.the food has certainly changed since xmas,veggie specials,exotic curries,brilliant.and had a chill music day,really friendly bar staff,good enjoyable day out,we will be back. p.s food much better than the dairy and so much faster.
keep it up.
anonymous - 29 May 2007 10:51 |
What exactly does the Larrick want to be? It has books and games... yet seves alcopops and has more giant screens than any other pub in Finsbury Park. It's all polished wood and leather upholstery... but the toilets are like something out of a soviet prison. It's also bloody expensive. Weird place.
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this ain;t too bad for a pitstop and to watch the football
sofas comfy and they do daily papers - bar staff pleasant enough
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Three words: All Bar One.
If you like them you'll love this place. Not for me.
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Have been in here once 18 months ago for a Sunday lunch it was fine and I might pop back just to see the relaunch which has caused so much debate. One thing don't refer to other reviewers as "freaks" because their view is different to yours ... especially if your post is anonymous. It doesn't show the pub in a good light far less yourself.
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I've been coming to this pub for 4 or 5 years now, and it's always been alot of fun. I agree that standards have dropped unfortunetly over the last year because the original manager left, but I've stuck with it, hoping for a turn around. On recent visits I believe it has, the food which definetly dropped it's game for a while is now wonderful again. I look forward to enjoying many more evenings here!
anonymous - 15 Jul 2006 11:03 |
In absolute fairness to the Larrik, it does indeed serve beer, and so does deserve to be classified as a pub. That, however, is where the similarity ends. Someone once compared it to a "Pine showroom" and that is not far off the mark. It is quite simply a pub for people with no imagination, and no style. Spend more than 30 minutes in this place, and you'll feel your life force ebbing away. In all honesty, it lets the area down.
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"Rolls Royce" - more like the redesigned Mini. People who buy it think it really modern, cool and trendy when they're got no imagination or style.
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I can't believe people have posted positive reviews this pub. I'd rather have eye surgery with a rusty knife than drink in here. It used to be a right scruffy boozer but at least it had. Unfortunately when the baliffs come knocking they don't accept character. The new owners thought they were designing a trendy bar but unfortunately their idea of style is something out of Ikea. It's all stripped pine and bright bright lights..... and they've got their web address etched into the windows! Losers! The only reason to possibley go in here is that you are guaranteed to pick up a couple of single women who are nudging 30, sharing a bottle of wine and slightly overweight. It's the kind of soulless place where women who don't like anything more exciting than watching Hollyoaks pubs feel comfortable. This pub runs the local Wetherspoons (White Lion of Mortimer) and the Nicholas Nickelby close for the crown of worst pub in Stroud Green.
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Clearly they have hiked up the prices to ensure they get a certain kind of clientele. Well that has worked, as I don't think I have seen it emptier. The prices are extortionate and the staff (who used to be regular and fun) are now different every week.
Can someone please get that new manager to stop playing with his 'band'???
Not a good idea to hav elive music on a thursday - are they stupid? the old dairy has it's busiest night so it's not wise to drive away clients that you wouldn't normally get with music that was not only rubbish but far too loud. Oh and note to the bar staff, suggesting your clients actually go to the Old Dairy instead is not gonna stop people complaining that the Larrik has changed for the worse.
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Funny how things can change so quickly. This place used to be a lot of fun. Now it's crap. Here is my review of it:
Music: Annoying
Staff: So so
Management: Vacuous
Wine list: Not bad
Atmosphere: No atmosphere any more
Hygiene: Not bad though toilets are rubbish
Fun: Not any more
Food: Don't waste your money
Beer: Guinness �3.20
CAMRA: Greene King IPA and Abbot. Not too bad.
Overall: Feels like a bad day at IKEA nowadays.
A shame as we were just starting to dig this place until New Year. 3/10. Go somewhere else.
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This was the best pub in the area until a few moths ago. Now it's totally lost its sheen. The staff no longer know what they are doing, the beer is expensive, the football screen (not that I care that much personally) is rubbish, the toilet is always blocked, the wine list is dull, the manager seems to think she owns the whole world and her staff don't care, the food is priced like Marco Pierre White cast offs and not very good frankly. The music is incessant and rubbish... what happened to the old music i-pod thing, dont they know how important this is?..? I went in a couple of Fridays ago and there was this band and I thought, "Great some live music!" but they were rubbish and the pub was empty. <p> I want my Larrik back, the way it was last summer. Otherwise I'm off to the Woodbine on Blackstock Road. Further away but more like it. See you in there.
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Ok, although doubt I will be going back after buying 2 double wiskeys & a pint & being charged �14.50. Sevice not too great, some posers & Aussies around.
joe91 - 19 Apr 2006 22:33 |
When I think of the Larrick the following comes to mind
1. �3.10 for a pint of Guinness
2. �4 for potato wedges
3. Pine furniture shop
4. Blocked male toilets
5. Wannabe crouch end
6. Crap big Screen
7. Out-of-work actors
8. Young men with beards
9. Backpacker bar staff
10. Girls with skinny jeans
11. Men with skinny jeans
12. No beer garden
13. Website address on windows of pub
14. Rubbish coke
15. The Home Counties
16. Red brick universities
17. Duffer clothing
18. The guardian
19. Franz Ferdinand
20. Converse trainers
That�s all you need to know
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Pretty average pub, I did go mid week and it was very quiet, I must say that I felt the drinks were expesive, and they had cheek to charge 50p for a small box of matches. Much prefer the Big Fat Sofa or the Old Diary.
But all said not a bad pub to sit and have a couple of beers
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Strictly speaking this isn't my local but it's one of only 2 pubs that I like within a 10 minute walk & I find it's worth going a little further for .... you can almost always get a table, the food is excellent (especially the enormous roasts. If 2 people order the chicken you get the whole bird to carve at the table, which has impressed all of the friends I've recommended it to) as is the Guinness (very telling), it's not smoky (another bonus), the staff are extremely pleasant (& will attempt to make a mojito!) & it's a great place to watch sports or the live bands when they have them. My only criticisms would be that the calamari in place of the fish cakes on the menu is a rubbish swap & I wish they'd get the broken loo fixed in the ladies' as it's been out of order a while (although there are 4 other usable loos).
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Great pub nice relaxing vibe when you want it and a great party zone when you want that (like New Years Eve and New Years Day - best fun I've had since auntie's funeral). The manager's a laugh and the staf cool too (especialy some of the young ladies there!) but that aside it's the only place I'd drink in around here and the food has been great every time I've had it. It aint' cheap but cheapos can go to the Witherspoons down the road and so that keeps the riffraff out
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I think this is one of the better pubs I've been to in ages, certainly in N4 and N8. The atmosphere is excellent and safe the staff are great. The last reviewer must have been unlucky but I went there recently on a Sunday and it was the best roast I've had. The management couldn't do enough for us, it's clean and unsmoky, they brought us extra veg, the staff were all helpful and well trained I thought and the wine list was good. They also know how to throw an awesome party if the one there in December was anything to go by. It maybe isn't sure if it's a pub or a restaurant, if there's any criticism, but I think it's pretty good at being both.
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I really want to like this pub but the last two times i have been there the service has been appalling. The last time i turned up for a sunday lunch, after waiting 30 minutes for our food we were told there was only 1 chef working and everything was taking longer. After 1 hour our food was put out from the kitchen where we could see it, but then all the staff dissapeared. When we actually got our food we didnt recieve any kind of apology and to cap it off, the roast was pretty mediocre.
I've had several problems with undercooked chicken here as well, overall i cant bring myself to recommend to anyone anymore.
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It's only Stroud Green? It's London ya morons! I like this place, it's a great meeting place, staff are generally lovely and they know how to throw a great party.
anonymous - 2 Oct 2005 14:04 |
This is such an inviting place. The staff are always so lovely. I've been going there for a few years now & have seen many staff changes so congrats for keeping it so consistant. Not so great in summer but at least it has open windows but in winter when it's pumping, the atsmosphere is fantastic.
anonymous - 4 Sep 2005 16:51 |
Overpriced 'gastro' joint. Not very interesting. The kind of place boring, middle-class parents take their infants on a sunday arvo, tucking into their poached salmon and balsamic vinegar mash....
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Shame about the high beer price duopoly between the larrik and dairy. was aware of the �3+ per pint at the larrik, thought the dairy could have undercut the immediate competition but at �2.90 there seems to be little between them.
Its only Stroud Green.
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Great place to meet your monied 30 something mates of a Sunday lunchtime, just before they all pop sprogs called Troughton or Serendipity. Food is OK but it's hardly a quality ale house.
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A bit uninspiring, but a safe venue for a civilised drink. I think they could do with turning the lights down a bit.
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Sorry folks, going to have to do it.
You are all so very nice. You all have very good hair and teeth.
Your customers likewise. Shiny, happy people, dreaming of the day when they hit pay dirt and the flat over the hill (and far away) becomes a reality.
The toilets are clean. The bar is clean. The floor is so clean I once ate my �8 Sausage and Mash off the floor. Management did not approve.
So why do I feel the need to wash whenever I enter the premises?
(maybe because of some sub-concious class inferiority complex? or because I just feel to dirty to part of the surroundings).
Oh well. Maybe one day I'll be able to really appreciate this type of environment, an environment so bland they even offer board games to help you while away the hours spent nursing your �3 pint of FOSTERS.
...Bar Maids are, indeed, the finest in the area.
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This is a beautifully run place that is definetly the most expensive in the area but you always get what you pay for, I eat there at least 3 times a week and have never had a bad meal, more often than not it's exceptional. People who feel the need to complain about prices, should stick to the greasy spoon cafes and seedy old man pubs, cause you get what you pay for there aswell.
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North London pub with west-end prices. eg �3 pint of stella, �8 for 3 sausages and a lump af mash. Food distinctivley below
average. eg. raw vegatables with sunday roast, steaks that you can't even cut through. Beer is sometimes warm, cider is
always flat. Good points: the bar maids have nice tits. (well they used to, haven't been there for a while.)
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Beer's too expensive. So's the food. Aussie manager deserves a slap.
anonymous - 17 Feb 2005 15:14 |
I've been going here for the last 3 years, and have always enjoyed it. However, thanks to the smartly dressed 30-something couple that stole my wallet from my coat pocket last time I was in there, I won't be going back. Cheers guys.
anonymous - 30 Jan 2005 14:00 |
Yeah, the pub's alright man. In a bit of a dodgy area, it really shines. The barmaids are wicked awesome, and some of the locals are not crazy and are good for a laugh (Bert). Even the foreign kitchen porters are cool! I love this pub...maybe one day I'm going to live there. Big ups!!!!!
Pedro - 16 Aug 2004 17:23 |
Very safe bet for a local drink. Not as characterful as the nearby Faltering Fullback, but more pleasant when you're after something a bit dark and smokey
Duncan - 27 Jul 2004 12:51 |
In an area where seedy dives and the filthy folk that frequent them seem to be the norm, The Larrik offers something else - A decent pub!
Jess - 19 Jul 2004 15:07 |
yeah.....if predictability is what you are after then this is your gaff. Safe, bright, female friendly....boring!! Like drinking in a bar expo show room....okish. Food not up to its previous levels....recommend the dairy for a more authentic experience....at least the place has got personality and hasnt indulged in severe punter cleansing.....too many robots in the Larrick....yawn!
maggie - 14 May 2004 13:57 |
Man, I don't want to sound obsessed but whoever hires the staff here needs a medal!!!
Micheal - 22 Mar 2004 10:39 |
As opposed to the last xenophobic writer, I think the staff are probably some of the best around, the atsomosphere, warm and inviting, and as for the expense, if it keeps people like k out all the better for us.
Anti k - 7 Feb 2004 13:23 |
staff are all foreign and lazy, looks like ikea inside and has no atmosphere - plus its way expensive
k - 19 Dec 2003 13:09 |
If you were here on Friday you would have been at one of the best parties I've been to in ages. It was this pub's 3rd birthday and it was an absolute blast, may there be many more.
George - 27 Oct 2003 17:24 |
Always great atsmosphere! Whether theres football on or not, and the staff will do anything for you. Great pub!
Davey - 1 Oct 2003 15:54 |
I've had some amazing meals here - what was great has recently got better aswell. They've completely re-jigged the menu and the standards, if it were possible, have gotten better.
Damon - 16 Sep 2003 17:04 |
Always enjoyed food here but hard undercooked roast potatoes and veg led to disappointment recently and you don't get the share platter anymore. The TV screen for footie too small, but the leather seats are great and staff friendly.
amy - 10 Sep 2003 16:13 |
Had an absolute blast on Friday man, got sooo hammered!!!! Great bar and very cool tunes, if you haven't been - Go! Got a major crush on the tall blonde behind the bar aswell.
Tony - 25 Aug 2003 13:20 |
the staff are very sexy in this pub...low cut tops everywhere..the food great and the service is better. By far the best pub in the area..
William - 20 Aug 2003 18:55 |
I challenge anyone to find me a better pub to hang out in on a cold winter sunday. Those roasts are magic. They do a mean bloody mary aswell.
Carl - 15 Aug 2003 14:17 |
I've been drinking here since this place opened up. It is easily ths best pub around in every possible way, great fun atmosphere and terrific staff.
Joe - 15 Aug 2003 10:49 |
This pub looks like a copy of All Bar One - big clean bar, evenly spread out pumps etc. But the place is too big. So it always feels empty. The food is good, but it's not a very comfortable place to drink, and I go to a pub to drink, not eat. In the same way, I don't buy sweaters from Volvo.
Niceish staff, but there are prettier girls down the road in Chapter One.
Mark - 12 Aug 2003 13:53 |
Fine pub, quiet, big sofas and lots of space. Opposite the "Old Dairy" which is also a nice pub.
Richard Jones - 30 Jul 2003 16:59 |
Awesome food last night, thanks for the recomendation. I'll be a regular from now on, also need to find out the name of the georgeous blonde barmaid - Ouch!!!
Mick - 26 Jul 2003 14:20 |
Warm atmosphere, great barmaids, think I may have over-indulged though, sorry s.
anonymous - 24 Jul 2003 16:23 |
Best in the area (esp. the food) and ditto on the bar staff or "Cute Barmaid" and "Foxy Barmaid" as they are now known!
anonymous - 30 Apr 2003 16:53 |
The food in this bar is second to none. Menu changes daily and the barstaff are both loveley to look at and very helpfull.
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Great Food, especially the whole Roast Chickens with the works on a Sunday!
Got big screen TV and games to play!
Also serves Stella - always a bonus!!!
anonymous - 14 Apr 2003 17:36 |
